Home PageBirds of Devon and Cornwall House Sparrows  

Latin name - Passer domesticus

House Sparrows, so long a common sight in the cities and towns of the United Kingdom, are facing a serious decline in their numbers. We are lucky because our local population seems to be increasing over the last 3 years with many more successful nest sites each year. The sexes are different in appearance with the male having a grey crown, brown and black streaked upper-parts, grey rump and under-parts, black throat and dull white cheeks, black bib, white wing bars and a black eye stripe. The female is much paler, more a dull brown without the grey crown, white cheeks, black bib or eye stripe; young sparrows closely resemble female sparrows. The House Sparrow eats a wide range of foods and will take almost anything you put out for it, perhaps the reason for their successful breeding in our local gardens.

House Sparrow House Sparrow Two House Sparrows House Sparrow